Friday marks the 87th annual National Donut Day, a celebration started by the Salvation Army to honor the organization’s Donut Lassies, who handed out donuts to World War I soldiers.

Charleston’s own Donut Lassie, Theresa Ortiz, 22, is keeping the legacy alive at her Kanawha City Donut Connection .

“We’re honoring the tradition where it started as a comfort food. It comes with hard work,” she said. “We’re not doing any games or gimmicks — just fresh, handmade donuts.”

It’s the freshness of the donuts, handmade every night, that makes Donut Connection stand out, Ortiz said.

For every occasion

For the Head family, it’s also the ingredients.

Carolyn Head told Ortiz that Donut Connection donuts are some of the only donuts that her son Arthur, 10, can eat because of food allergies. The

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